Sri Rama Nataka Niketan

Bharatanatyam, a dance form of great beauty, has crossed national frontiers and become part of the international scene. There are, however, only a few centres of excellence today dedicated to bringing out the true potential of young dancers. SRNN is a dance school that stands out in the sub-continent for its dedication. It is an institute par excellence founded by the Late Padmasri K. Dandayudhapa

ni Pillai in the year 1967 in Chennai, and established by Guru V.S.Ramamoorthy & his daughter, Guru Manjula Ramaswamy, in 1970, in Secunderabad. The father-daughter duo were not content with just being good teachers. They wanted to pass on this extraordinary dance form to the generations to come. As gurus, they were sculptors, shaping and moulding their students into great dancers. It is one thing to execute something perfectly in a technical sense, and yet another to execute it perfectly by appreciating its internal aesthetic beauty. That is the kind of perfection SRNN has always aimed for. Students are made to love the art form and taught to transmit its aesthetics to the Rasikas, the audience. When one looks at the galaxy of disciples this institution has trained, one marvels at its ability to transfer this passion to so many. SRNN proudly feels that Devotion, Dedication and Sadhana define their students, and that each student views dance as a deep spiritual experience and a humble offering at the lotus feet of Lord Nataraja. This happens, perhaps, because of the closeness that Manjula feels towards each of her students. As she always claims, she is a mother first and then a teacher. Her students reciprocate ---- loving her first as a mother and then respecting her as their Guru.